


Alive

by the_impossible_twin



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2019-05-06 08:48:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14638317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_impossible_twin/pseuds/the_impossible_twin
Summary: My take on what happens after 2x21, with Jughead and Betty. Be warned, there are spoilers ahead.





	Alive

**Author's Note:**

> My first Riverdale fanfic. Just a little one-shot I was inspired to write. It might be horrible or it might be amazing, yet it was fun to write. Enjoy!

> Betty was losing it, that much she could see. She was losing her mind. First, her dad just had to be the Black Hood, the serial killer (and a pretty lousy one at that, according to Alice Cooper) that had emotionally tortured her, forced her to cut ties with her best friends, and Jughead. Then, after witnessing a traumatic event bound to leave a mark on her; she got the call. The one from Jug. _I just wanted to let you know that I love you. And I’ll never stop loving you._ Those words rang in her ear as she stared at his weak, injured body carried by FP. The world seemed to turn away for a moment as Betty felt tears climb down her face. Contrary to what Jug would have like, her palms became stained with red crescent moons. She couldn’t help it; seeing Jug, like that, anyone was bound to fall into their old, unhealthy habits.
> 
> _Is he-is-he dead?_ She thought briefly. It was a quick thought, one that everyone around her was probably thinking. Betty’s eyes lingered a bit too long on his arm, which the echo of a Serpent tattoo used to be. Her hands trembled. She couldn’t feel her legs as they stumbled to Jug’s body. Betty didn’t even look at FP, who was no doubt, feeling the same thing as she was. “Is-is he…” Betty tried to ask the question, but she couldn’t find her voice. How do you ask something like that?
> 
> Slowly, Betty stared at FP; his eyes were dull, a myriad of anger, sadness, guilt, and regret. His features were painted with a look of pure devastation, one that made Betty’s heart shatter, just a little. He shook his head.
> 
> Then everything turned into a daze. Betty could only faintly feel one of the Serpents, most likely Sweet Pea, brush past her, and help FP with Jug. He was alive. Betty kept chanting that notion in her head, like a drum. _He’s alive. He’s alive. He’s alive._ Betty could only faintly feel someone’s hands on her shoulders, trying to pull her away from Jug. She planted her feet firmly on the ground, mustering all of her strength to stay put. _He’s alive. He’s alive. He’s alive._
> 
> Betty could only faintly hear someone calling her name; she thought it was Archie. He came into her view, blocking her eyes from Jug. Wide-eyed, he said words. Words that Betty couldn’t even listen to. Archie turned to the side, glancing to the side: probably Tony and Cheryl. As they came into her view, Betty continued to stare out into the darkness. Where was Jug? Where was his light? He’s alive. He’s alive.
> 
> Then everything snapped back into the cold, harsh reality: Jug needed help. He needed medical attention. Betty rapidly turned her head to FP and Sweet Pea, who was loading Jug onto a truck. “Wait!” Betty shouted, “I’m coming with you!” She, crying, ran to the truck with a determined resolute with her. _He’s alive. He’s alive._ FP and Sweet Pea didn’t protest; they simply helped her up.
> 
> The drive to the hospital was quiet, full of unanswered questions, concerns, and uncertain hopes. Betty tried to wipe her tears away, but they kept coming, for some unknown reason. Finally, they arrived. A crowd of people, mixed in with bright protest signs and loud screams, surrounded the hospital. Betty didn’t care. She would make a path. For him, always.
> 
> Some of the crowd began to notice Jug, and the two people carrying him and began to clear the way for them. Betty was grateful. She dashed through the door, and went to the front desk, passing a myriad of people. “Excuse me, my boyfriend needs help!” She said, facing the stressed, tired glare of the nurse. The nurse sighed. “Over there.” She pointed to two doctors, dressed in pure white lab coats. For a moment, Betty was painfully reminded of Dr. Morseter and the bright red blood that-
> 
> No, she couldn’t think about that. Jug was what mattered right now. _He’s alive._ FP and Sweet Pea, glistening in their tousled leather jackets, gently plopped a bruised and battered Jug on the hospital bed. The nurses began to wheel him away as Betty ran to him. Well, tried to run. Tears still flowing freely down her face, Betty was stopped by a strong arm. _FP._
> 
> He turned to her, his eyes glassy. “Betty, you need to let him go. Just for a little bit…” Betty shook her head. No, no. No.
> 
> “No, no. I-I have to… I have to…” Her voice was drowned out by a sob. She just had to keep telling herself; _He’s alive. He’s alive._ He’s-
> 
> “Look, I-I get it. He’s my kid. And I-I should’ve protected him? You know? I-I didn’t want this life for him. Jug, he-he deserves better. Both of you. Both of you deserve better. Let him go. Just for a little bit…” FP said as his voice broke. He put a hand on her shoulder as Betty struggled to put herself together. _He’s alive. He’s alive._
> 
> After a moment of painful silence, Betty took a deep, deep breath. “Okay, okay.” She whispered, glancing longingly at the hospital doors. Betty didn’t want to imagine what was happening in there. She really didn’t. Instead, the girl sat down at one of the rare empty hospital chairs.
> 
> _I just wanted to let you know that I love you. And I’ll never stop loving you._  Jug's words rang in her head once more. How could he do that? To her? To leave no punctuation at the end of their sentence. No ending to their story. But their story wasn’t over. Not yet. For a second, Betty was angry for what he did. But she loved him. And he loved her. That was enough. _He’s alive._
> 
> O o O
> 
> Time seemed to drift away into a meaningless haze, yet Betty counted the minutes. The two hours before she could see her boyfriend. It was a challenge (that was an understatement) not to clench her fists even tighter. Finally, for what seemed like an eternity, FP and Betty were allowed to see Jug, who finally woke up. Although the only thing Betty wanted to do was embrace Jug, she knew that FP and he needed a moment. FP looked at her, asking a silent question: _Can I have a moment with him?_
> 
> Betty nodded, taking a step back to her seat. _He’s alive._ That was enough. He was alive. More eternity passed, and she tried not to think of her dad. The Black Hood. What-
> 
> No, she couldn’t think of that either. Not now. Jug was alive. That was enough. But still… the sight of Jug, half-dead, so caked with blood that she couldn’t almost recognize him, that would forever haunt her. Losing Jug…. Betty didn’t even want to think about that-
> 
> “Betty, you can see him now,” FP said with a faint smile on his lips. A smile of hope. _He’s alive._ Betty exhaled, curled a piece of her disheveled blonde hair behind her ear, and entered Jug’s room.
> 
> The first thing she noticed besides Jug, as she entered the room was the sound of the heart monitor. It was proof that he was alive. Here to stay. Jug… His face was clean of blood, though it was still painted with faint bruises. He was lying down, his face pressed against a bright white pillow. Yet Jug’s eyes, still full of that sarcastic, witty emotion, met hers. Betty sobbed silently, of relief. _He’s alive._ She sauntered to the bed, and gently took his hand.
> 
> “You’re-you’re…”
> 
> “I’m okay.” Jug finished for her. “Betty, I’m okay.”
> 
> Betty sighed. “What happened?” So Jughead told his story, full of a corrupt Hiram Lodge and Ghoulies. How he met Penny Peabody again and his particular exchange: his life for the Serpents. “The next thing I knew, I woke up here.” He finished.
> 
> “Why would you do that to yourself?” Betty said, almost bitterly. “Why would you hand over your life, like it was nothing?!” The tears began to fall again.
> 
> Jug frowned. “They threatened the Serpents.” Then he added in a quieter tone, “They threatened you.”
> 
> Betty looked down at her feet. “I love you. I’ll never stop loving you.” She confessed, glancing back up at him.
> 
> Jug smiled. “I love you too. And I will never, ever stop loving you.” There was a moment of silence, but it seemed to not be void. Instead, it was full of a hopeful future and optimistic promises.
> 
> “What’s the diagnosis?” Betty asked, changing the subject.
> 
> Jug sighed. “I think a few broken ribs, a lot of bruises, and some other stuff that I don’t know about. But I’ll live.”
> 
> “Thank God.” Betty let go of his hand and dragged one of the blue chairs in the room closer to Jug’s bed. Her cheeks were still stained with dried tears, and for a moment, Betty forgot about it all. The Black Hood. Her dad. The Serpents. The Northside. The Southside. Just Betty and Jughead. She didn’t realize that tears were flowing down her face until Jug asked, “Hey, are you okay?” His face was a mixture of bruises and concern. Betty quickly wiped her tears away, for the third time that night.
> 
> “Yeah, yeah. I’m fine.” She said, though even she didn’t seem to believe that.
> 
> “Betts, what is it?” Jug frailly took her hand and squeezed it. “My dad. My family, it’s gone. It’s just falling apart. And… I can’t do anything. It’s too late to do anything. And I-” Betty broke off, unable to say any more without succumbing to crying. She had cried too much already.
> 
> “Hey, it’s going to be okay.” Jug said softly. “What’s going on?”
> 
> “My dad. He’s-he’s the Black Hood.” Betty told him in a stoic voice. She realized that she hadn’t even said that aloud since…
> 
> “What?”
> 
> Betty nodded. “Yeah.” She told her story: how Hal Cooper became the Black Hood, the origin of the Coopers, and how he was going to kill Alice and Betty Cooper. “And then I ended up at the White Wyrm, seeing you…” _He’s alive._ Jug was quiet for a moment.
> 
> “I hate this town. I hate Riverdale.” He finally stated.
> 
> “Yeah, so do I,” Betty replied. “But our story isn’t over. It’s just beginning.” Her voice started to break. “We’ll find a way; we’ll figure what the hell is going on and fix it. Together.” She squeezed Jug’s hand and pressed a kiss to his lips. The kiss was soft like they had all the time in the world. Their story was definitely not over. It was just the beginning.


End file.
